I woke up early this morning thinking about all those people who woke up on September 11th 2001 and started their morning and daily life just like they normally did, not realizing the world would change this day. What I can’t figure out today is why this is not the first news story today- yes it’s still mentioned and acknowledged, but each year it becomes a more distant memory. I don’t want to forget all those people who went to their jobs and never came home. Or ran to rescue and help those in need and also never came home.
Here is my blog from last year.
I was in London on Marriott business. I was with Marriott colleagues, 60 customers from all over North America and my mom and sister who were able to join me on this business trip. Tuesday was our off day from the trade show and I was in Chelsea window shopping. I walked into this wonderful little pillow store which sold ridiculously expensive pillows ( $220 for a pillow!). The 2 shop girls were in the back of the store, looked up at me and said- ” Are you American?” When I said yes, they said, “your country is under attack.” They motioned me to this tiny TV and I saw the second plane flying directly into the 2nd Tower. I could not believe my eyes…. I quickly went back to the street to grab a taxi back to the hotel, the cabby had tears in his eyes as he told me how sorry he was for my country… Everyone I encountered the next hour getting back to my room could not have been kinder to me as an American… We spent the next week in England with our customers and colleagues until airplanes were allowed to fly again. Watching TV, mourning, staying in touch with our friends and family back home…. a week I’ll never forget. Our flight back to the US was on the first day you were allowed to fly. Everyone was very nervous during the 7 hour flight, but British Airways did a tremendous job and we all applauded wildly when we landed in Atlanta.
Personally I didn’t know anyone who was killed in the attacks, but I do have a connection to one very special woman.
My friend Ann ( who I’d written about earlier this year – Love at 52 1/2) grew up in Maryland with a family with three kids. The oldest daughter was Ann’s age and they were life long friends. She worked in NYC at Cantor Fitzgerald, fell in love and married in her 30′s and had the perfect NYC life. Exceptional success at work, , happiness and love with a great guy …. She was just like us, went to work on a beautiful Tuesday morning at a career she loved and around 8:45AM a plane plowed into her office building a few floors below where she was working on the 104th Floor and she had no way down….
Her mom is someone I’ve gotten to know thru Ann over the past few years, Joan, is one of the bravest women I’ve ever met. A tremendous faith that has taken her through the past 7 years. She told me a few years ago that even though I didn’t know her, I had a guardian angel who would always be around watching and protecting. Today, and every day, I honor Valerie Silver Ellis . The New York Times did a series of tributes to all the people who died on Sept. 11th to tell the rest of the world what these people were all about. Here is Val’s.
“Fixing Shoes, and Wagon”
One of the best Valerie Silver Ellis stories takes place in the early ’80′s when she was starting out at Cantor Fitzgerald. A senior trader asked her to take his shoes to be repaired, so Ms. Ellis had taps put on the toes and the heels extended to four inches. When the senior trader ordered the upstart young trader to redo the job, Ms. Ellis had the shoes bronzed.”They ended up being friends,” said Brian Hull, a friend and former client of Ms. Ellis. “She refused to be insulted, she refused to be intimidated. She just worked as hard as she could and she won.”Ms. Ellis, a 46-year-old equities trader, worked at Cantor Fitzergerald for 20 years, 18 of those at the World Trade Center.”Someone said at her memorial that Val collected people,” her husband, Sam Ellis, said. “She also loved to collect art. We had a place in the Hamptons and she liked the artists in the area. She loved the beach; she loved her dog Spudley. She also loved the theater and we’d often entertain clients by taking them to theater and dinner.”Mr. Hull said, “You never had to see her to know that she was in a room. You just knew her laugh. She always found a reason to laugh.”
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on October 16, 2001.
I moved to Tybee Island full time in November of 2001. I decided that if a girl just like me could die after going to work at on a beautiful Tuesday, then I’d better be doing what I love and living where I truly want to be and appreciating and valuing every single day of my life .
What a beautiful blog. Working in the hotel industry is demanding. I use to keep the child of a man who opened the Hilton in Pensacola, FL.
The area you live in is that the setting for the book, “Prince of Tides.” I loved that love story though sad.
I’ve been trying to locate a old signed copy of any John Steinbeck book who is my favorite writer for capturing the rawness of his characters in his books.
My cousin lives in Asheville and a friend, but my dream is to live in a small bungalow or cottage one day.
It’s a amzing what hurricane can do. I hope you did okay. Please e-mail me your blog address and I’ll add it to my roll. Just so people can see the simplicity and beauty of such a wonderful place.
Have a great day,
Ella
Beautiful post, Diane. Are you sure you’re not ready to write a novel? I can’t think of a better refuge from the worries of the world than Tybee Island–and a Mermaid cottage, of course!
I am Diane's sister….. I read her blog and it took me immediately to that day. I was with her in London on 9/11. My mom and I had been on the London Eye when the 1st plane hit and were walking across the Thames when the 2nd plane hit (although we didn't know it at the time). On our way back to the hotel, we stopped in a Clark's shoe store. It was then that we found out the horrible news. We rushed back to the hotel. I will never forget how I felt when the door of our room opened and there was Diane. We 3 hugged and hugged and hugged. Being together made the next week bearable until we could all get home to our individual families & lives. As she said, she decided after that awful day to go and live her life with everything she has. I am so proud of her and love her so much!!!!! I look up to her and admire her. I think that's why Mermaid Cottages is so successful and great. It flows outward from her and her love of people and a wish to make life wonderful for all. I love you Sissie….XX00XX Jackie
Thank you Everyone for your comments. I never know how people find this blog, but I’m grateful for the chance to get to blog daily! Ella- my blog address is http://www.mermaidcottages.blogspot.com and my website for the cottages is http://www.mermaidcottages.com Thank you for being part of our mermaid family!
Diane…it was good we got to speak on Sept 11th…you are in my thoughts and most especially on this particular day..as we were in London together along with our many colleagues from British Airways and Marriott, It’s hard to believe it has been 7 years.
It was such a difficult time for everyone, yet it was all the wonderful people especially you Diane, that helped everyone get thru it. I really felt the love and the relief people were feeling, as we said our goodbyes at the airport, as we were leaving London going back home to our love ones in the USA, located all across the country.